sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
What has the outdoors taught you?
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What has the outdoors taught you?
- Thread starter sixstringsteve
- Start date
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
I've been undergoing an interesting transition in my life and I learn more about Ultralight Backpacking (many thanks to Mesha for introducing me to the world of UL). I'm learning to simplify my life. I'm trying to make more items in my life multi-use, and ditch the unnecessary ones.
Troop92
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Layton, UT
The outdoors continually reminds me of how small I am in the grand scheme of things, and that there are so many amazing things to be experienced if we'll only get out and look.
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The outdoors has taught me that being unprepared is painful and that being being prepared in regards to gear, physical fitness and knowledge can make almost any adventure outdoors a whole lot of fun. On our last winter overnighter two of us were toasty warm and in great spirits and the two guys who were less prepared were cold, unhappy and in pain.
The concept of being prepared goes way beyond being outdoors and is something I want to embrace more in my life.
The concept of being prepared goes way beyond being outdoors and is something I want to embrace more in my life.
This^
Even a few miles from town is a LOOOONG way when something goes wrong, and you are unprepared.
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
The outdoors have taught my soul is an outdoor creature living an indoor life, even though my body is an indoor creature that occasionally experiences the outdoors. I love being outside.
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
The outdoors has also taught me that mother nature is brutal. People who think nature is kind and protects her own are sorely mistaken. A wolf won't tenderly eat a rabbit and make sure inflict the least amount of pain. The wolf will destroy that rabbit with no thought of its pain.
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
I've also learned that nature is far more beautiful than any man-made art I've seen.
jeep-N-montero
Formerly black_ZJ
- Location
- Bountiful
Now if only Steve can be less afraid of touching a fish.... then the real outdoor fun begins!
Skylinerider
Wandering the desert
- Location
- Ephraim
I've spent so much time learning about the outdoors, about the philosophy of nature. I'm sure I could fill a book on what I've learned about and from the outdoors. This is one of those conversations that should be had over a fire.
- Location
- Vehicular limbo
With whisky. The outdoors has taught me that almost any conversation is better over a campfire, with a flask of good whisky.
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
I touched a fish last year. It was a real breakthrough. I still don't enjoy it, but it's not nearly as big a problem as I made it out to be. It's 100% mental.
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jentzschman
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Sandy, Utah
^ this.
All of this is wonderful insight. I love the outdoors but have struggled to get out more as I feel I need to have better gear or this and that piece of gear to enjoy it to the fullest.
As with what Steve said, being introduced to the UL scene has helped me alter my mindset on gear. I use to think like the old boy scout motto: Be prepared meant taking everything you think you might need while UL teaches to take less and multitask each piece of gear. While being prepared is still very true, I have tried to view being prepared as taking less and expanding my knowledge base, which is something I really need to do more of.
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Skylinerider
Wandering the desert
- Location
- Ephraim
If anyone is looking for a good book on the subject of nature, I highly recommend "Wilderness and the American Mind". It's a good read although quite long. And for the parents and future parents out there, I love "Last Child in the Woods"
Both fairly "green" leaning books, but offer good perspective.
Both fairly "green" leaning books, but offer good perspective.
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
Thanks curt, I just ordered both of those. I find myself leaning more and more green every day (but not because of the documentaries or undertones in the books I read). I look forward to reading these.
Skylinerider
Wandering the desert
- Location
- Ephraim
If you want something more immediate to read, check out "The Trouble with Wilderness; or, Getting Back to the Wrong Nature" by William Cronon.
http://www.williamcronon.net/writing/Trouble_with_Wilderness_Main.html
Skylinerider
Wandering the desert
- Location
- Ephraim
I often find myself coming back to the argument of Conservation vs. Preservation and feel that if Gifford Pinchot had been a tenth the writer that John Muir had been we would be seeing things a bit differently. (By "we" I mean the collective "we".)
- Location
- Riverton, UT
I highly recommend the DVD by Chad Booth, "The County Seat Wilderness, The Whole Picture" for the political side. As far as life goes the outdoors is a beautiful, honest, tough life teacher of responsibility and consequences of actions. Just ask any farmer or rancher. The only place I feel closer to God is in the Temple or Church.
A good book on how people and governments evolve is "Earth Abides" by George R. Stewart. It starts with a catastrophe with few people left on earth and how they evolve.
A good book on how people and governments evolve is "Earth Abides" by George R. Stewart. It starts with a catastrophe with few people left on earth and how they evolve.